Shore Excursions in Juneau & Ketchikan

[AZqueen]

Sailing on Celebrity Infinity 8/23. Need some ideas about local tours and vendors in these ports.

[dabear]

Sailing on Celebrity Infinity 8/23. Need some ideas about local tours and vendors in these ports.

 

You'll have better luck getting replies on the Ports of Call Forum under the Alaska thread on these boards.

[buddymum]

Sailing on Celebrity Infinity 8/23. Need some ideas about local tours and vendors in these ports.

 

We were on infinity july 2011, at both these ports we just walked off the ship and picked a tour from loads that were on offer. In Juneau we did a whale watching tour at a heavily reduced price compared with Celebrity . Just decide what you want to do before you go and then take your pick. Hope you have as great a cruise as we did, saw eveying we wanted to and had wall to wall sunshine the whole time we were in Alalska. Enjoy!!1

[Andy]

Sailing on Celebrity Infinity 8/23. Need some ideas about local tours and vendors in these ports.

 

Hi AZqueen,

 

You will likely receive more responses on the Alaska Ports of Call Forum. Here's a direct link : http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

I hope this helps. Enjoy your Cruise !

[cruzeluver]

We did a great whale watching tour in Juneau through Orca Enterprises. They are fantastic! You can book through their web site and they are a very short walk from where the ships dock. Highly recommend them.

 

In Ketchikan we did not pre-book anything. We did one of the duck tours (a kind of "tram" that is able t go into the water) so we got a nice, narrated tour of the areas as well as the harbor. Ketchikan is not very big so its a nice town for walking around.

 

Have a great cruise. Alaska is a fantastic destination, in fact we are hoping to go back in 2014 since we are already booked for 2013.

[CruisingChick]

We did a great whale watching tour in Juneau through Orca Enterprises. They are fantastic! You can book through their web site and they are a very short walk from where the ships dock. Highly recommend them.

 

In Ketchikan we did not pre-book anything. We did one of the duck tours (a kind of "tram" that is able t go into the water) so we got a nice, narrated tour of the areas as well as the harbor. Ketchikan is not very big so its a nice town for walking around.

 

Ryan, OMG we did the exact same tours as you. Too funny. Great minds think alike!!

[fleckle]

Sailing on Celebrity Infinity 8/23. Need some ideas about local tours and vendors in these ports.

Lots to see and do in both ports, depending on your interests.

Good place to start is by ordering the free guide for each port.

 

Order Your Juneau Visitor Guide

 

 

Ketchikan Alaska Free Area Travel Guide

 

 

Here are links to some recent threads with good suggestions:

 

OVERwhelmed in Juneau! - Cruise Critic Message Boards

 

Anyway to do it all in Juneau??? - Cruise Critic Message Boards

 

Mendenhall Glacier Bus - Cruise Critic Message Boards

 

Things you can do in Juneau - Cruise Critic Message Boards

 

 

Totems in Ketchikan - Cruise Critic Message Boards

 

Ketchikan excursions - Cruise Critic Message Boards

 

Ketchikan - for the elderly - Cruise Critic Message Boards

[mjwcruising]

We did these two tours and had a great time on both of them.

Juneau:

Whale watching

http://harvandmarvs.com/alaskawhalewatching.html

Ketchikan:

Sea plane over Misty Fjords

http://www.islandwings.com/

[Peteymil]

We did these two tours and had a great time on both of them.

 

Juneau:

Whale watching

http://harvandmarvs.com/alaskawhalewatching.html

 

Ketchikan:

Sea plane over Misty Fjords

http://www.islandwings.com/

 

Looking forward to doing those exact two excursions in about a month!!

Glad you enjoyed them.

[Lois R]

I agree with the Island Wings suggestion:)...I used them back in 2009

and Michelle is terrific:)

[mjwcruising]

Looking forward to doing those exact two excursions in about a month!!

Glad you enjoyed them.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time.:)

[islandchick]

Juneau- You can grab a roundtrip and frequent bus to Mendenhall glacier (very cheap) very near the cruise ship dock. Mt Roberts tram is also right near dock. If you are looking for something unique but expensive there are really cool helicopter and dogsledding tours available from the cruiseline but you can also book them online yourself (we booked era helicopters) and they are cheaper.

 

Ketchikan- We have taken a tour from Southeast Sea Kayaks to Orcas Cove and it was wonderful. Saw lots of eagles. Small group with guide. Very professional and the kayaking was very easy going and calm. We loved it so much we booked it again for this Summer. Ketchikan is also a cute little town and very walkable including a totem pole center.

[phoenix_dream]

Ryan, OMG we did the exact same tours as you. Too funny. Great minds think alike!!

We did as well! One mistake we made was pre-booking the Duck tour. Our ship docked late and we had to literally run and chase down the operator to catch our scheduled ride. I would advise booking a later time if you pre-book, or take your chances and try to catch one when you disembark.

 

We agree about the whale watching. That tour operator is DEFINITELY the way to go in Juneau.

 

On a different cruise, we did the tour to the Mendenhaul (sp?) glacier. That was very nice as well. If you enjoy shopping, Juneau is the best so leave time for that. They also have a couple of cool bars.

[gymjudge55]

We are doing a combination whale watching and fishing tour for 6 hours with Rum Runners charters. Very reasonable, only two couples on the boat and the guys get to fish while we take pictures. We are being dropped off at Mendenhall for some hiking.

In Ketchikan we are booked with Island Wings also. Don't wait too long to book flightseeing, they really fill up fast. We will probably tour the town on our own as our flight is at 1:00 p.m.

[Putterdude]

In Ketchikan you can purchase an all-day bus transit pass which will take you out to Totem Bight or to Saxman Village. The town itself is quite walkable and there is a free shuttle from the piers. For sure visit historic Creek St., you will likely be there for one of the salmon runs.

In Juneau a number of independent tours are offered as you leave the ship including at least two shuttles that offer a $16/pp round trip out the Mendenhall Glacier.